The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Local Crime & Public Safety

Teenager fatally shot in Prince George’s, police say

Kendall Batson, 18, was a 12th-grader at Wise High School in Prince George’s, according to officials.

By
May 12, 2023 at 3:40 p.m. EDT
(iStock) (carlballou/iStock)
1 min

An 18-year-old was fatally shot in the Forestville area Thursday evening, Prince George’s County police said.

Police identified him Friday as Kendall Batson, of District Heights. Batson was a 12th-grade student at Wise High School, according to a letter from the principal of the high school.

Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.

Officers responded at about 6:35 p.m. to the 2300 block of Ritchie Road, police said. They found Batson with a gunshot wound in the parking lot of North Forestville Elementary School. He later died at a hospital.

No one else was injured in the shooting, according to police.

According to the North Forestville Elementary school website, the school hours end at 1:55 p.m. It is unclear whether there were any extracurricular activities at the time of the shooting.

An investigation of the shooting is ongoing, police said.

In the letter sent to Wise High School families, Principal Taryn Washington described the incident as “an act of violence in the community” and extended “sympathies to his family.”

“We will do our best to comfort our Wise community during this challenging time,” Washington said. “A support team of school psychologists and professional school counselors will be here to help students and staff work through their feelings. Counseling will be available as long as necessary.”

Efforts to reach relatives of Batson on Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.

Loading...